Damselflies

Damselflies are flying insects of the suborder Zygoptera in the order Odonata. They are similar to dragonflies (which constitute the other odonatan suborder, Epiprocta) but are usually smaller and have slimmer bodies. Most species fold the wings along the body when at rest, unlike dragonflies which hold the wings flat and away from the body. Damselflies have existed since the Late Jurassic, and are found on every continent except Antarctica.

Calopterygidae is a family of damselflies, in the suborder Zygoptera. They are commonly known as the broad-winged damselflies, demoiselles, or jewelwings. These rather large damselflies have wingspans of 50–80 mm (compared to about 44 mm in the common bluetail damselfly, Ischnura elegans), are often metallic-coloured, and can be differentiated from other damselflies by the broader connection between the wings and the body, as opposed to the abrupt narrowing seen in other damselfly families. The family contains some 150 species.

Coenagrionidae is a family of damselflies, also known as pond damselflies, in the order Odonata and the suborder Zygoptera. The Zygoptera are the damselflies, which although less known than the dragonflies, are no less common. More than 1,300 species are in this family, making it the largest damselfly family. The family Coenagrionidae has six subfamilies: Agriocnemidinae, Argiinae, Coenagrioninae, Ischnurinae, Leptobasinae, and Pseudagrioninae.

The Lestidae are a rather small family of cosmopolitan, large-sized, slender damselflies, known commonly as the spreadwings or spread-winged damselflies.

thumb|Malagasy featherleg (Proplatycnemis hova) thumb|Proplatycnemis alatipes female The Platycnemididae are a family of damselflies. They are known commonly as white-legged damselflies. There are over 400 species native to the Old World. The family is divided into several subfamilies.

Coenagrion is a genus of damselflies in the family Coenagrionidae, commonly called the Eurasian Bluets (although three species are found in North America: Coenagrion angulatum, Coenagrion interrogatum, and Coenagrion resolutum). Species of Coenagrion are generally medium-sized, brightly coloured damselflies.

Chlorocyphidae is a family of damselflies, commonly known as jewels or heliodors. These are colorful species native to the Old World tropics, where they occur along forest streams. They are most diverse in Southeast Asia.

Ischnura is a genus of damselflies known as forktails or bluetails in the family Coenagrionidae. The genus is distributed worldwide, including various oceanic islands. The males have a forked projection and blue segments at the tip of the abdomen which give the group their common names.

Protoneuridae was formerly considered a family of damselflies. Recent taxonomic revisions have classified the species previously placed in Protoneuridae into two existing families - Coenagrionidae and Platycnemididae, both in the superfamily Coenagrionoidea.

Platystictidae is a family of damselflies, commonly known as shadowdamsels. They look very similar to the threadtail damselfly family (Protoneuridae). They can mostly be found throughout Asia, Central America, and South America.

thumb|left|Ceriagrion cerinorubellum mating

Lestes is a genus of damselfly in the family Lestidae. The family hold their wings at about 45 degrees to the body when resting. This distinguishes them from most other species of damselflies which hold the wings along, and parallel to, the body when at rest.

Megapodagrionidae is a family of damselflies. They are commonly called flatwings for their habit of spreading out their wings horizontally when at rest.

Hemiphlebia, commonly known as the ancient greenling, is a genus of damselfly, containing only one species Hemiphlebia mirabilis and is the only living genus in the family Hemiphlebiidae. It is very small with a long, metallic-green body and clear wings. It is endemic to south-eastern Australia. Its natural swamp habitat is threatened by habitat loss. The oldest representatives of the family date to the Late Jurassic.

Coenagrionoidea is a superfamily of closed wing damselflies of the order Odonata found worldwide.

Euphaeidae, sometimes incorrectly named Epallagidae and commonly called gossamerwings, is a family of damselflies in the odonate superfamily Calopterygoidea. The family is small, consisting of around 78 species living species in nine genera occurring in the Palearctic, Australasia, and Asia. The family contains two subfamilies, Euphaeinae, encompassing all the living species and a single fossil genus, and the extinct Eodichromatinae, encompassing fossil genera from the Eocene to late Oligocene. Euphaeid species are large and mostly metallic-coloured, looking similar to species of damselflies i

Isostictidae is a family of small to medium-sized damselflies restricted to Australia, New Caledonia, and New Guinea. It contains 12 genera and more than 40 species. Members of this family resemble species in the former threadtail family (Protoneuridae).

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Calopterygoidea is a superfamily of damselflies in the order Odonata.

thumb|Agriocnemis pygmaea, female at [[West Bengal, India]] thumb|Agriocnemis exsudansmature male, Cook Islands thumb|Agriocnemis exsudansimmature male, Cook Islands

Amanipodagrion gilliesi is a species of damselfly. Its monotypic genus Amanipodagrion was formerly in the subfamily Argiolestinae of the flatwing damselfly family (Megapodagrionidae). As a result of molecular phylogenetic studies by Bybee et al. in 2021, it is now in its own family, Amanipodagrionidae.

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Pseudagrion is the largest genus of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae, with over 140 species. Its range includes most of Africa, much of Asia, and Australia. Africa holds most of the diversity with almost 100 species. It has occupied most of the freshwater habitats in its range, and dominates damselfly communities in habitats as different as desert pools, equatorial rainforests and montane streams.

The Synlestidae are a family of damselflies commonly known as sylphs or malachites. They occur in Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia, Asia and the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean.

The Perilestidae are a family of damselflies commonly known as shortwings and twigtails. It is a small family of around 19 species. All extant species are native to the Neotropical realm. In the past Nubiolestes of Africa was included in this family, but this is doubted. Palaeoperilestes electronicus is an extinct species described from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber.

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The Polythoridae are a family of damselflies. They are found in New World tropics. The family contains 58 species.

The Lestoideidae are a family of damselflies occurring in South-east Asia, New Guinea and Australia. The family comprises two genera and nine species.

Amphipteryx is a genus of damselflies, the only extant genus in the family Amphipterygidae. It is limited to Mesoamerica from Mexico to Honduras and Guatemala.

Rhyothemis is a genus of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. They are commonly known as flutterers.

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Rhinocypha is a genus of damselflies in the family Chlorocyphidae.

The Dicteriadidae are a small family of damselflies with only two species in two monotypic genera. The family is endemic to South America.

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Tetrathemis is a genus of dragonflies in the family Libellulidae. Species of Tetrathemis are found in Africa, Madagascar, Asia, New Guinea and Australia.

Neoneura is a genus of damselfly in the threadtail family Coenagrionidae. They are found in the Neotropics, from Cuba and Texas to Argentina.

Aciagrion is a genus of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. Aciagrion are small and slender damselflies with a small head. They are found at still waters including swamps. Aciagrion is widely distributed in the tropics from Africa, through Indonesia to Australia. They are commonly known as Slims.

Indolestes is a genus of damselflies in the family Lestidae. Species of Indolestes can be medium-sized, dull coloured dragonflies. They are found from India through Asia, Australia and the Pacific.

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Potamarcha is a genus of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. Species of Potamarcha are medium-sized dragonflies found in southern Asia and Australia. Potamarcha was first described by Ferdinand Karsch in 1890.

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Argiocnemis is a genus of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. Species of Argiocnemis are generally small to medium-sized damselflies, darkly coloured with pale markings. They occur in Africa, Indian Ocean islands, South-east Asia, New Guinea and Australia.

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